Sosin filed an order of recusal on Friday, removing himself from the case for undisclosed reasons. His order only generally cites an Indiana trial rule that requires recusal or disqualification of a judge based on a range of conflicts of interest. Reached today by email, Sosin declined to discuss his reason for his recusal in more detail.

Altice joins a panel of Marion Superior Court civil judges that has one other Republican, Cynthia Ayers, and three Democrats: Heather Welch, who is presiding over the case; Thomas Carroll; and James Osborn.

All of them have potential conflicts in a case as politically fraught as one concerning council redistricting, but state law governing redistricting challenges in Marion County specifically hands the case to such a panel.